A Kentucky woman who spent 35 years turning her 45-acre property into a natural area is facing a major change to the land after a nearly $40 million sewer project secured easements across it.
asserted
project → spend → it
The Central Boone County Sewer project, being built by Sanitation District 1 (SD1), will use part of Gayle Pille’s property for a new sewer pipeline.
asserted
project → build → pipeline
Pille has spent decades developing the property into a nature preserve.
asserted
Pille → spend → preserve
According to WVXU, she planted native shrubs and trees, cleaned up creek crossings and built bird houses.
uncertain
she → accord → houses
She also plans to donate the land to the Boone Conservancy after her death so it can remain a community nature preserve.
asserted
it → plan → death
The sewer project has four phases and is designed to increase wastewater capacity in central Boone County.
asserted
project → have → County
Its final phase includes about 3.2 miles of new sewer line, known as B.2.
asserted
phase → include → B.2
The route has become the subject of protests from Pille’s neighbours and supporters, who want SD1 to consider moving the line away from her property.
asserted
SD1 → become → property
The issue has now drawn the attention of Boone County officials.
asserted
issue → draw → officials
Boone County Judge/Executive Gary Moore sent a letter to SD1 asking the agency to explain why it selected the current route.
asserted
it → send → route
Commissioner Chet Hand has also asked SD1 Executive Director Adam Chaney to present a report to the county fiscal court explaining the criteria used to select the route.
asserted
Hand → ask → route
Why the sewer line crosses Pille’s land
SD1 is building the Central Boone County Sewer project to redirect wastewater currently going to the Dry Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant in Villa Hills westward to the Western Regional Water Reclamation Facility in Petersburg.
asserted
SD1 → cross → Petersburg
One part of the project requires the agency to use eminent domain to obtain access to Pille’s property.
asserted
part → require → property
Eminent domain is the government’s authority to acquire private property for public use without the owner’s consent.
asserted
domain → acquire → consent
SD1 and Pille were unable to reach an agreement on a buyout for the land.
asserted
SD1 → reach → land
The agency then took the matter to the Boone County Circuit Court.
asserted
agency → take → Court
According to the reports, the court ruled in favour of SD1, allowing the agency to acquire the property needed for the sewer project.
uncertain
agency → accord → project
SD1 secured seven easements on parts of Pille’s property.
asserted
SD1 → secure → property
The Boone County Circuit Court decision has been appealed by Pille, and the case remains pending.
asserted
case → appeal → Pille
Construction has not yet started on the part involving her property.
asserted
Construction → start → property
Attorney Jon Woodall told WVXU that there is currently nothing legally stopping the project from moving forward, although the dispute over compensation can continue.
asserted
dispute → tell → compensation
“You're just dealing with compensation, that's it.
asserted
that → deal → compensation
And the project can go forward while you're fighting about the dollars, Woodall said."
asserted
Woodall → go → dollars
Pille’s 35-year effort to preserve the land
The dispute is not only about the sewer line.
asserted
dispute → preserve → line
Pille has spent decades changing the property into a natural area and hopes it will remain protected after her death.
asserted
it → spend → death
She spent 35 years developing the property by planting native shrubs and trees, cleaning up creek crossings and putting up bird houses.
asserted
She → spend → houses
Her plan was to eventually leave the land to the Boone Conservancy.
asserted
plan → leave → Conservancy
A map showing the portion of the approved sewer project
The property, however, did not have a conservation easement at the time of the dispute.
asserted
property → show → dispute
Pille had hoped to place one on the land in the future.
asserted
Pille → hop → future
SD1 initially offered Pille $22,100 for her 45 acres.
asserted
SD1 → offer → acres
A survey conducted by SD1 later found that the trees Pille had planted were worth about $1.5 million.
asserted
Pille → conduct → SD1
The disagreement over the property has also led to public protests.
asserted
disagreement → lead → protests
Pille’s neighbours and other supporters have opposed the B.2 route and have held protests outside SD1’s headquarters in Fort Wright.
asserted
neighbours → oppose → Wright
They have also spoken at Boone County Fiscal Court meetings, asking county officials to put pressure on SD1 to consider another route.
asserted
They → speak → route
County asks SD1 to explain route
Jennifer Watts, one of Pille’s neighbours, has been involved in the campaign against the B.2 route.
asserted
Watts → ask → route
She told SD1 board members that several possible routes had been considered before the current one was selected.
asserted
one → tell → members
“I know they had multiple routes to choose from, and they chose the one that goes through — it requires them to go through 18 properties,” Watts said.
asserted
Watts → know → properties
At a Boone County Fiscal Court meeting on Tuesday, Watts asked county officials to play a role in the dispute, while acknowledging that the court could not decide Pille’s eminent domain case.
uncertain
court → ask → case
“We understand that this court cannot decide Gayle Pille’s eminent domain case, and we are not asking you to take over SD1’s engineering decisions, but there is a difference between not controlling SD1 and having no role at all,” Watts said.
asserted
Watts → understand → role
Moore said he understood the concerns but believed it would be irresponsible for the fiscal court to try to influence SD1’s engineering decision.
asserted
court → say → decision
…and 7 more, not listed.
The Aporia
